Lawrence, KS – John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, will deliver the 2008 Vickers Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Business. He will be the first Chief Justice of the United States to speak at the University.
Who: Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.
What: 2008 Vickers Memorial Lecture
When: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Lied Center, KU Campus
Tickets: Available from the Lied Center beginning April 1
The lecture will be part of a two-day trip to KU for Roberts, during which he will meet with School of Business and School of Law students and faculty. Both schools played a significant role in bringing Roberts to campus. The Vickers Lecture on April 30 will be open to the public and free tickets are available from the Lied Center of Kansas beginning April 1.
"The School of Business is tremendously excited about Chief Justice Roberts’ upcoming lecture," said Dean William Fuerst. "It will be a great event not only for our students but the entire University and surrounding community, as well."
The Schools of Business and Law worked collaboratively to invite Chief Justice Roberts and to develop a schedule for him that will maximize his time at KU. Dean Fuerst and Gail Agrawal, dean of the law school, discussed various possibilities for the visit. Both agreed that student exposure to the Chief Justice was paramount.
"The opportunity to meet the Chief Justice of the United States is especially meaningful for law students," Dean Agrawal said. "We anticipate that Chief Justice Roberts will speak to students in our constitutional law classes during his time on campus. I expect we will open those class sessions to as many students and faculty members as possible. The entire law school community is looking forward to his visit."
Roberts’s illustrious career began after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1979. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as a law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Throughout the 1980 Term, he served in the same capacity for then-Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist of the Supreme Court of the United States.
In 1982, Roberts was appointed to Associate Counsel to President Reagan, a position that he held until 1986, at which point he practiced law in Washington, D.C.
After a 10-year stretch in private practice, Roberts served as a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2003-2005, which led to his appointment by President George W. Bush as Chief Justice of the United States on September 29, 2005.
Steven McAllister, professor of law, was pivotal in coordinating with Chief Justice Roberts’ office on this invitation to KU. Because of his prior experience at the Supreme Court, McAllister facilitated the communication between Robert’s office and the KU Schools of Business and Law.
The Vickers Lecture is named for J.A. Vickers, KU alumnus and founder of Vickers Petroleum Company, and his son, Robert. The lecture series began in 1969 and has brought to KU such distinguished presenters as George H. W. Bush, Yitzhak Rabin, Donald Rumsfeld, Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Kenneth Starr.
